Achievements

Nathaniel Alexander Douglass

Geography

Nathaniel Alexander Douglass, a student in HSU Geography, won the Best Cartographic Design at the North American Cartographic Information Society's 2017 Student Map and Poster Competition in Montreal, Canada. He received a $500 award and interest from organizations such as National Geographic, Esri Maps and Data, and several grad schools. He poured his heart and soul into the map he presented, depicting a snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Claudia Chávez-Argüelles

Anthropology

Dr. Chávez-Argüelles won the Fray Bernardino de Sahagún Award 2017 in the category of Best Dissertation in Ethnology and Social Anthropology, awarded by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) - the maximum authority in these disciplines in Mexico.

Her dissertation is titled "Beyond Legal Truths: Impunity, Memory, and Maya Autonomous Justice After the Acteal Massacre." The Award Ceremony will take place on November 17, 2017, at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City.

Dr. Eugene Novotney

Music

On October 14, 2017, Dr. Eugene Novotney, Professor of Music, was presented with the 2017 SUNSHINE Award for Education and the Performing Arts in a ceremony held at the AXA Equitable Theatre in NYC. The Sunshine Awards program recognizes the creators, performers and promoters of art, dance, music, sports and poetry of the various Caribbean cultures in the Americas. The SUNSHINE Awards Program is endorsed by the United Nations and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the organization that sponsors the annual Grammy Awards. The SUNSHINE Awards are presented annually, and they represent a milestone of achievement for the promotion of Caribbean culture worldwide.

Leena Dallasheh

History

Leena Dallasheh, professor of History, presented a paper entitled "Claiming Rights in Nazareth: Legal Strategies during Colonial Transition" at a conference organized by Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. This organization seeks to promote human rights in Israel, particularly for the Palestinian citizens of Israel. The conference sought to expand first-year law students' understanding of law and human rights.

Laura Johnson

Geography

Dr. Laura Johnson published an article in the Journal of Rural Studies titled 'Gendering strategies for civic agriculture: The case of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and the High Country Farm Tour.' The article can be accessed here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Vecm2eyKFS0m2

Dr. Alison Holmes

International Studies

Holmes was invited to be a mentor to graduate students and young faculty as part of the 'Pay it Forward' program of the International Studies Association. Designed to encourage women and diversity in the discipline, this was the first time the program took place at a regional conference. Holmes also presented a paper and returned to the Executive of ISA-West.

Stephen Cunha, Mary Beth Cunha

Geography

The National Geography Society invited geography faculty Mary Beth and Stephen Cunha on a recent five-week voyage to Greenland, Baffin, and Ellesmere Islands. Mary served as a cartographic expert, helping guests utilize a mapping phone app. She also provided interpretation for scores of hard copy historic and electronic maps of this Arctic region. Stephen lectured on glaciers, mountain environments, and the evolution of parks and protected lands across the globe. The ship reached 78°45’ North before pack ice blocked further progress.

Matthew Derrick

Geography

Geography professor Matthew Derrick, a Fulbright scholar currently on sabbatical, has been named a visiting scholar at the Central Asian Studies Institute (CASI) of the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). Located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, AUCA is Central Asia's premier institution of higher education. While there Derrick will conduct field research on the theme "New Religious Landscapes of Kyrgyzstan." For details, see https://auca.kg/en/visiting_scholars/

Janelle Adsit

English

Janelle Adsit (Assistant Professor, English) has recently published two articles in the journal New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing. Both articles are on threshold concepts in creative writing. The article "Creative writing and the limits of *Naming What We Know*: threshold concepts from aesthetic theory and creativity studies in the literary writing curriculum" is part of a featured author series and will also appear in a forthcoming collection.

Dr. Michael S. Bruner

Communication

COMM Professor Michael Bruner was cited on skinny-shaming and constant body judgment in a recent E! News article commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Ally McBeal TV show. Bruner and COMM alumni, Karissa Valine and Bernice Ceja, had previously published a related article on the experience of Rachel Frederickson on the TV show The Biggest Loser. See www.eonline.com/news